Why Is Life Based on Carbon and Not Silicon?

Curiosity Daily

Learn about why life is based on carbon and not silicon, whether you should be using plastic or wood cutting boards, and how jealous feelings can help maintain friendships.

Why is life based on carbon and not silicon? by Cameron Duke

• Cosmic Evolution - Future. (2020). Harvard.Edu. https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~ejchaisson/cosmic_evolution/docs/fr_1/fr_1_future5.html
• Could silicon be the basis for alien life forms, just as carbon is on Earth? (1998, February 23). Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/could-silicon-be-the-basi/
• Petkowski, J. J., Bains, W., & Seager, S. (2020). On the Potential of Silicon as a Building Block for Life. Life, 10(6), 84. https://doi.org/10.3390/life10060084

Should you be using plastic or wood cutting boards? by Joanie Faletto

• Original episode: https://www.curiositydaily.com/plastic-vs-wood-cutting-boards-what-water-tastes-l/

Jealous feelings can help maintain friendships by Kelsey Duke

• Jealous feelings can act as a tool to strengthen friendships. (2020). ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200811153911.htm
• Krems, J. A., Williams, K. E. G., Aktipis, A., & Kenrick, D. T. (2020). Friendship jealousy: One tool for maintaining friendships in the face of third-party threats? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000311

Episode referenced in recap:

• https://www.curiositydaily.com/why-we-search-for-aliens-seth-shostak-seti-motivat/

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